How To Quickly repair China And Glass

In china, odd chips can sometimes be satisfactorily touched in with matching gloss paint; or try filling them with epoxy resin, mixed with titanium dioxide for white china or with artists’ powder colours to match other shades. Finish off with a coat of varnish if necessary.

Breaks can be mended with epoxy resin adhesive, carefully following the directions on the pack. First work out how the pieces fit together, and clean away all traces of any old adhesives with a solvent such as methylated spirits or nail-varnish remover. Rinse well and allow to dry. You will need to support your work while-it dries and you should plan in advance how you are going to do this. There are-various possibilities. You can gum dampened brown paper sticky strip crossways over the break: this is better than ordinary sticky clear tape because it contracts as it dries to pull the pieces tightly together. Sometimes the broken pieces can be supported in a box or bowl of sand, or held with plasticine, or a broken plate can be held in a drawer; or a bowl can be supported by another bowl. If glueing several pieces, tackle only two pieces at a time and let them dry completely, before going on to fix the next whole piece. Continue in this way until the item is wholly repaired. Carefully remove all traces of glue before it finally sets: leave it for a few hours until it is tacky then peel it off with a sharp craft knife, unless it is of the fast-setting type, in which case the surplus must be removed more quickly.

Chips around the edges of glasses can sometimes be ground down by a professional glass and china repairer. Breaks can be repaired in the same way as for china, see above, but the joins will always show to some extent. There are, however, special clear adhesives now sold for mending broken glass.

Mend china one piece at a time, waiting until each dries before adding the next. While the adhesive dries, the mended piece can be supported with plasticine, or in a box of sand. Use brown paper sticky tape crossways across joints. As the paper dries, it will shrink, pulling the sections together. Sometimes, small chips around edges can be touched in with matching gloss paint and a fine brush. 167